diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/index.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/index.rst
index 52c63b4024..7e51b2c79d 100644
--- a/doc/guides/rel_notes/index.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/index.rst
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ Release Notes
     :numbered:
 
     rel_description
+    release_16_11
     release_16_07
     release_16_04
     release_2_2
diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_16_11.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_16_11.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a6e3307745
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_16_11.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,205 @@
+DPDK Release 16.11
+==================
+
+.. **Read this first.**
+
+   The text below explains how to update the release notes.
+
+   Use proper spelling, capitalization and punctuation in all sections.
+
+   Variable and config names should be quoted as fixed width text: ``LIKE_THIS``.
+
+   Build the docs and view the output file to ensure the changes are correct::
+
+      make doc-guides-html
+
+      firefox build/doc/html/guides/rel_notes/release_16_11.html
+
+
+New Features
+------------
+
+.. This section should contain new features added in this release. Sample format:
+
+   * **Add a title in the past tense with a full stop.**
+
+     Add a short 1-2 sentence description in the past tense. The description
+     should be enough to allow someone scanning the release notes to understand
+     the new feature.
+
+     If the feature adds a lot of sub-features you can use a bullet list like this.
+
+     * Added feature foo to do something.
+     * Enhanced feature bar to do something else.
+
+     Refer to the previous release notes for examples.
+
+     This section is a comment. Make sure to start the actual text at the margin.
+
+
+Resolved Issues
+---------------
+
+.. This section should contain bug fixes added to the relevant sections. Sample format:
+
+   * **code/section Fixed issue in the past tense with a full stop.**
+
+     Add a short 1-2 sentence description of the resolved issue in the past tense.
+     The title should contain the code/lib section like a commit message.
+     Add the entries in alphabetic order in the relevant sections below.
+
+   This section is a comment. Make sure to start the actual text at the margin.
+
+
+EAL
+~~~
+
+
+Drivers
+~~~~~~~
+
+
+Libraries
+~~~~~~~~~
+
+
+Examples
+~~~~~~~~
+
+
+Other
+~~~~~
+
+
+Known Issues
+------------
+
+.. This section should contain new known issues in this release. Sample format:
+
+   * **Add title in present tense with full stop.**
+
+     Add a short 1-2 sentence description of the known issue in the present
+     tense. Add information on any known workarounds.
+
+   This section is a comment. Make sure to start the actual text at the margin.
+
+
+API Changes
+-----------
+
+.. This section should contain API changes. Sample format:
+
+   * Add a short 1-2 sentence description of the API change. Use fixed width
+     quotes for ``rte_function_names`` or ``rte_struct_names``. Use the past tense.
+
+   This section is a comment. Make sure to start the actual text at the margin.
+
+
+ABI Changes
+-----------
+
+.. This section should contain ABI changes. Sample format:
+
+   * Add a short 1-2 sentence description of the ABI change that was announced in
+     the previous releases and made in this release. Use fixed width quotes for
+     ``rte_function_names`` or ``rte_struct_names``. Use the past tense.
+
+   This section is a comment. Make sure to start the actual text at the margin.
+
+
+
+Shared Library Versions
+-----------------------
+
+.. Update any library version updated in this release and prepend with a ``+``
+   sign, like this:
+
+     libethdev.so.4
+     librte_acl.so.2
+   + librte_cfgfile.so.2
+     librte_cmdline.so.2
+
+
+
+The libraries prepended with a plus sign were incremented in this version.
+
+.. code-block:: diff
+
+     libethdev.so.4
+     librte_acl.so.2
+     librte_cfgfile.so.2
+     librte_cmdline.so.2
+     librte_cryptodev.so.1
+     librte_distributor.so.1
+     librte_eal.so.2
+     librte_hash.so.2
+     librte_ip_frag.so.1
+     librte_ivshmem.so.1
+     librte_jobstats.so.1
+     librte_kni.so.2
+     librte_kvargs.so.1
+     librte_lpm.so.2
+     librte_mbuf.so.2
+     librte_mempool.so.2
+     librte_meter.so.1
+     librte_pdump.so.1
+     librte_pipeline.so.3
+     librte_pmd_bond.so.1
+     librte_pmd_ring.so.2
+     librte_port.so.3
+     librte_power.so.1
+     librte_reorder.so.1
+     librte_ring.so.1
+     librte_sched.so.1
+     librte_table.so.2
+     librte_timer.so.1
+     librte_vhost.so.3
+
+
+Tested Platforms
+----------------
+
+.. This section should contain a list of platforms that were tested with this release.
+
+   The format is:
+
+   #. Platform name.
+
+      * Platform details.
+      * Platform details.
+
+   This section is a comment. Make sure to start the actual text at the margin.
+
+
+Tested NICs
+-----------
+
+.. This section should contain a list of NICs that were tested with this release.
+
+   The format is:
+
+   #. NIC name.
+
+      * NIC details.
+      * NIC details.
+
+   This section is a comment. Make sure to start the actual text at the margin.
+
+
+Tested OSes
+-----------
+
+.. This section should contain a list of OSes that were tested with this release.
+   The format is as follows, in alphabetical order:
+
+   * CentOS 7.0
+   * Fedora 23
+   * Fedora 24
+   * FreeBSD 10.3
+   * Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.2
+   * SUSE Enterprise Linux 12
+   * Ubuntu 15.10
+   * Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
+   * Wind River Linux 8
+
+   This section is a comment. Make sure to start the actual text at the margin.